Certain sporting boots require the use of a hard shell to provide support to the user during use. For instance, ski boots include a stiff exterior shell or boot portion that encloses a soft interior sleeve for receiving the foot and ankle. A semi-rigid cuff is secured to the shell for adjustably surrounding the calf of the user during use.
The cuff is also often pivotally secured to the shell so that the cuff may pivot with respect to the boot shell to provide flexibility in the ski boot during “walk mode.” In addition, the shell will also often have one or more relief cuts or splits that allow the boot shell to flex at the relief cuts in walk mode. For instance, a boot may have a U-shaped relief cut at the rear of the shell that allows the upper portion of the shell to flex or distort when the lower leg bends forward and engages the front portion of the shell (causing the cuff to engage and press against the rear portion of the shell). The upper ends of the U-shaped relief cut can distort or bend inwardly to accommodate this movement.
However, it is typically desired to have the boot portion and cuff fixed relative to one another in a stiffened position in “ski mode” to provide increased support to the user for an enhanced skiing experience. There are numerous prior art devices that selectively secure the cuff to the shell in “ski mode” and allow the cuff to pivot with respect to the boot shell in “walk mode.” However, these devices fail to close off the one or more relief cuts, splits, or slots in the shell that allow the boot shell to flex.
Other prior art devices close off a portion of the relief cuts in the shell so that the shell can flex only partially during “ski mode.” More specifically, the device may include a blocking mechanism that is disposable within the relief cut to engage the shell when it flexes, thereby restricting the shell from further flexing during “ski mode” and increasing its stiffness. However, these prior art devices do not completely prevent the shell from flexing during “ski mode.”
Thus, it is desired to have a ski/walk mechanism that selectively secures the cuff to the shell in “ski mode,” and that allows the cuff to pivot with respect to the boot shell in “walk mode,” and that further selectively closes off the one or more relief cuts in the shell in “ski mode” to maximize the stiffness of the shell.